Bandages



April 7, 1959 A. N. STANTON 'BANDAGES Filed July 27, 1953 7 C9 0 35 7? INVENTOR Ausf/fl A! Wan/0x7 I ATTORNEY United States Patent.

BANDAGES Austin N. Stanton, Garland, Tex.

Application July 27, 1953, Serial No. 370,442

4 Claims. (Cl. 206-632) This invention relates to bandages and more particularly to a sealed bandage which is protected against contamination by a sealed cover.

Some bandages include an elongated backing strip having one side provided with a layer of adhesive. A gauze pad extends over an intermediate portion of the backing strip and is secured thereto by the adhesive layer. Protective strips of the bandage 'have adjacent end portions overlapping over the gauze pads and remote end portions on either end of the gauze secured to the backing strip by the adhesive layer. Such bandages are generally packaged in plastic covers from which the bandage must be removed. After the removal of the cover, the protective tabs must be removed before the bandage may be applied to the surface it is to protect. In order to facilitate the application of the bandage to the surface it is to protect and to prevent the possibility of contamination of the gauze pad due to the excessive handling, it is desirable to provide a bandage which is prepared for application to the surface by the single operation of removing the protective cover.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide a new and improved bandage.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved bandage having a protective cover which is prepared for application by the single operation of removing the protective cover.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent upon the reading of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing and its scope will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a top view of a bandage made in accordance with the teachings of this invention.

Figure 2 'is a sectional view of the bandage shown in Figure 1 showing the cover and bandage in expanded positions;

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the bandage showing the bandage as it actually appears in folded position;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of a modified form of the bandage shown in Figure 2; and 1 Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4 showingt-he cover and bandage in expanded positions.

Referring now particularly to Figures 1, 2 and 3, the bandage includes an elongate backing strip 11 of a flexible substance such as cloth or plastic having one side provided with a layer 12 of adhesive substance. A sterile gauze pad 13 extends over an intermediate portion 14 of the backing strip and is secured thereto by the adhesive substance. A pair of gauze protective strips 15 and 16 have opposite end portions secured to the end portions 17 and 18 of the backing strip so that their free end portions 17b and 18b overlap over the gauze pad 13 and so protect it. The protective strips have a certain degree of rigidity or stiffness and thus also serve to prevent the relatively flexible backing strip from curling or twisting on itself.

A protective cover 19 of cellophane or other pliable sub- 'ice 2 stance is folded around the bandage 10 in a manner to be described and its two ends 20 and 21 overlap and are secured to one another by an adhesive or by the application of heat which causes the ends to cohere. The protective cover 19 is wider than the bandage so that the side edge .portions of the cover abut each other, as at 22 and 23, and are secured together by an adhesive or by the application of heat which causes the abutting side edge portions to cohere.

The cover is folded about longitudinally spaced transverse axes about the free end portions 17b of the protective strip 16 and thus forms a protective 'fold or tab 24 about the free end 17b. The cover is similarly folded about the free end portion 18b of the protective strip 15 and thus forms a second protective fold or tab 25' about the free end portion 18b. It will be noted that theftabs cover both sides of the free end portions of the protective strips and that the tab 24 is overlapped by the tab 25.

In use, the bandage is freed of its cover 19 and the protective strips 15 and 16 in a single operation. The fold or tab 25 is seized'by the fingers of one hand and turned I back thus uncovering the tab 24 which was overlapped by the tab 25. The tab 24 is then grasped by the fingers of the other hand and the two tabs are then pulled in opposite direction. The cover is scored or weakened along a transverse line, as at 26, so that it will tear or rupture along this line when the tabs are pulled apart.

Since the free end portions 17b and 18b of the protective strips 16 and 15 are enclosed by the tabs 24 and 25, they are, of course, also pulled in opposite directions.

When the cover 19 has ruptured, the cover and the free end portions are pulled apart to uncover the gauze pad 13 which is then applied to the surface of the body to be protected by the bandage while the tabs 24 and 25 and the free end portions 17b and 18b are still held by the fingers.

The tabs are then pulled further apart to pull the end portions of the protective strips which are secured to the end portions 17 and 18 of the backing strip from these end portions thus uncovering the adhesive layer 12 which coats these end portions. The end portions are then pulled or pressed into contact with the surface to be protected to secure the backing strip to the surface which then holds the gauze pad firmly against the surface. The protective strips and the cover are then discarded.

It will now be seen that a new and improved bandage has been provided which is rendered ready for application to the surface it is to protect 'by the single operation of removing its protective cover 19, the'removal .being effected by the pulling of the tabs 24 and 25 in opposite directions.

Referring now particularly to Figures 4 and 5 of .the drawing, the modified bandage 26a there shown includes a flexible backing strip 27 having a layer 28 of adhesive. A'sterile gauze pad 29 is disposed over an intermediate portion of the backing strip and is secured thereto by the adhesive layer 28. The cover 30 is made of a cellophane or'other plastic having sufiicient stiffness to prevent curling of the end portions 31 and 32 of the backing strip.

The cover 30 is made of an elongate strip which includes a back portion 33 which abuts the side of the backing strip not having the layer of adhesive and intermediate portions 34 and 35 which abut and are held by the adhesive layer on opposite sides of the gauze pad.

The opposite ends 36 and 37 of the cover strip are secured together by an adhesive or by the application of heat thereto which causes the ends 36 and 37 to cohere. The abutting side edge portions of the cover are likewise secured together as at 38 and 39 by an adhesive or by the application of heat thereto. The cover is provided with folds or tabs 40 and 41 which overlap above the gauze pad 39. It will be seen that the tabs are formed 3 by folding portions of the cover along transverse lines. The cover is scored or weakened along a transverse line, as at 42, so that the cover will tear or rupture when the tabs 40 and 41 are unfolded and pulled outwardly from the gauze pad in opposite directions.

The bandage is applied to the surface to be protected when the gauze pad is exposed but while the portions 34 and 35 of the cover are still secured to end portions 31 and 32 of the protective strip, farther outward pulling on the tabs then freeing the cover from the end portions to uncover the adhesive layer on the end portions 31 and 32. The end portions are then pressed onto the surface to cause the adhesive layer thereon to secure the backing strip to the surface.

' ing of the gauze pad or backing strip before the gauze pad is applied to the surface.

It will be apparent the various changes and modifications in the bandages may be made without departing may be simultaneously stripped from said backing strip to allow immediate application of said bandage.

3. In combination: a bandage comprising an elongate backing strip having a longitudinal axis, and provided on one side with a layer of adhesive, a gauze pad disposed intermediate the ends of said backing strip and secured thereto by said adhesive,-and a pair of protective strips each having free adjacent overlapping end portions extending over said gauze pad and having the respective opposite remote end portions of said strips secured to said backing strip by said adhesive on opposite sides of said gauze pad; and a cover completely enclosing said bandage said cover being inthe form of an endless belt and folded so as to present two tab portions, each of said tab portions extending about one of said free end portions to partially enclose said free end portions said tabs being pivotable outwardly about spaced transverse axes perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, each of said partially from the invention and it is intended therefore, in the appended claims, to cover all such changes and modifica tions as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In combination: a bandage having an elongate backsaid bandage said cover being in the form of an endless belt and folded so as to present a pair of tabs, each of said tabs enclosing one of said free ends of said protective strip, said cover having a line of Weakness between said tabs and being sealed along the side edges to enclose said bandage in said cover.

2. In combination: a bandage comprising an elongate backing strip having a longitudinal axis, and provided on one side with a layer of adhesive, a gauze pad disposed intermediate the ends of said backing strip and secured thereto by said adhesive, and a pair of protective strips each having free adjacent overlapping end portions extending over said gauze pad and each having opposite remote end portions which are secured to said backing strip by said adhesive on opposite sides of said gauze pad; and a cover completely enclosing said bandage said cover be ing in the form of an endless belt and folded so as to enclosed free end portions pivoting with its tab, said cover being provided with a transverse line of weakness disposed between said transverse axes whereby said cover and said protective strips may be simultaneously stripped from the said backing strip to allow immediate application of said bandage.

4. In combination: a bandage having an elongate backing strip provided on one side with a layer of adhesive substance, said adhesive substance being such to secure the backing strip to a surface, a pad attached to said adhesive surface in an intermediate portion of said backing strip so that an adhesive portion of the backing strip extends outwardly from the opposite sides of the positioned pad to thereby constitute end portions of said backing strip, a pair of protective strips, each of said strips having one portion thereof secured to the said end portions by said adhesive substance and having the free or unattached portions thereof extending over the said pad; a cover for said bandage comprising a piece of endless material to thereby completely enclose said bandage, said cover being folded so that a portion of said cover extends over both sides of each of the unattached portions of the said protective strips and a portion of the cover extends over the said pad so that the folded cover portions over said protective strips forms tabs, said tab portions being over lapped whereby the said tabs may be subsequently subjected to a pulling pressure which causes the said cover and said protective strips to be pulled away from the said bandage to allow application of the said bandage to a surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,630,596 Banif May 31, 1927 2,172,455 Samuel Sept. 12, 1939 2,522,963 Rogers Sept. 19, 1950 2,703,083 Gross Mar. 1, 1955 2,721,550 Banfi Oct. 25, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 308,355 Germany June 14, 1913 

